Cleaning device.



Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

I 2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

C. H. FOSTER. CLEANING lmzvmfi. APPLICATION FILED PERM, 1910.

AWE

C. H. FOSTER. CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED r3344. 1910.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i STATES raianr on CLAUD H. FOSTER, OF CLEVELAND, QHIO.

CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial No. 543,733.

"'23 whom it may concern:

i it known that I, CLAUD H. Fos'rnn, a n of the United States, residing at elanth'in the county of Cuyahoga and of Ohio, have invented a certain new useful Improvement in Cleaning De- I'vices' of which the following is a full, clear,

I u exact description, reference being had to accompanying drawings.

obstructed or obscured.

My invention is applicable, among other objects, to observation windows for locomotires, to windows of cars, and to wind shields for automobiles on which material, such as sleet, snow, mud, etc., is apt to accumulate,

thus interfering with the view ofthe opcrater.

, The object of the invention is to provide ableaning device of this kind which may be conveniently and quickly operated without requiring the expenditure of any material amount of time or attention on the part of the operator, thus avoiding the liability of "distracting his attention from other and more important objects.

The general objectof my invention is to provide a cleaner of this kind which shall be efficient in operation, economical of pro duct-ion and which 'is adapted for easy application to the objects with which it is to in the drawings forming cooperate. Still further and generally speaking, the

invention may be defined as consisting of Fig. 2 a detail in side elevation of the devices shown in the preceding figure; Fig. 3 represents a sectional detail through the top of the wind shield and through the spring barrel used with my appliance; Fig. 4 a sectional detail of the cleaning member of the appliance; Figs. 5 and 6 details in elevation and section, respectively, of the means for supporting and guiding the cord by means of which the cleaning member is operated;

" i a detail in elevation and Fig. '8 a detail in section of a form of spring barrel This invention relates to devices for cleaning windows, wind slnelds of automobiles, and like surfaces which are liable to become which is particularly adapted for use with the wooden frames of windows, and Fig. 9 an elevation of the rear or reverse end of the barrel from that shown in Fig. 7.

The embodiment of my invention disclosed herein comprises a coiled spring, the spring being provided with an extension having a cleaner applied thereto, with a flexible device, as a cord, operatively secured I to the cleaner and extending to a second device from which the flexible member may be operated and to which it may be secured.

Describing the parts by reference characters and with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to (3 inclusive, 1 denotes the transparent lnemoer or pane of an automobile wind shield and 2 the top and 3 one side of the stiffening bar or frame to which the outer edge of the said member secured, To the upper portion 2 of this frame a barrel 4 is secured in any convenient manner, .as by means of the integral flanges 5 and set screw 6 shown herein. \Vithin this barrel there is coiled a spring 7, one end of which is shown as projecting through the closed head 8 of said barrel and this end of the spring is secured to the head and the spring is prevented from being withdrawn from the bar- 8-5 rel by bending the end 9 against the head 8. The other end of the spring is bent around the adjacentflangc 5 and beneath the frame. 2, as shown at 10, and forms a resilient arm whichis adapted, under ordinary ,or normal condltions, to extend parallel with the lower surface of the frame and in substantial contact therewith. This extension 11 of the spring has applied thereto the cleaning member 12. This cleaning member is conveniently formed of rubber and is sleeved upon the extension 11 and is provided with a lip 13, substantially co-extensive in length with the body of said member and bearing against the transparent mernher 1.

14 denotes a supporting member provided with a pair of flanges 15 adapted to receive the wind-shield frame, to which the member 14 may be conveniently secured, as

by means of the set screws 16. The member 14 is provided with acleat 17 and with a transverse bore in which there is rotatably mounted a tube 18.

For convenience of description, that surface of the transparent member 1 which faces the direction of travel ofthe automoand will be also provided with a flared end 20. This tube 18 is for the reception of a flexible operating device 21, preferably a cord. One end of this cord is shown as secured to an eye 22 on the end of the spring extension 11 that carries the cleaning member 12. The cord extends through the tube 18 and is in convenient position to be operated by the chauffeur.

In operation, suppose the surface of the wind shield should become obscured, as by snow, rain, dirt, or other obstruction. The

chaulfeur merely pulls quickly upon the cord 21; this sweeps the cleaning member 12 in contact with the front surface ofthe transparent member of the wind shield. Owing to the flexibility of the spring extension 11, the member 12 and the spring extension will generally assume the curved form shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The swiveling of the tube 18 enables the latter to accommodate itself to the various positions of the outer end of the spring extension 11. and this with the provision of the flared ends of the tube, avoids cutting the cord. When the operator releases the cord, the. spring restores the member 12 to the position, shown in Fig. 1. As this member returns to its initial position, the front surface of the transparent wind shield member is not only again cleaned, but the material tending to accumulate upon the member 12 is largely whipped off by centrifugal ac tion, this whipping action being accentuated by the stop projection 5, which the projection 10 is adaptedto engage.

- It will be observed that the end 22 of the spring extension. 11 is oif-set from the axis of the coil? This, together with the location of'the supporting member 14, gives a proper lead to the cord to enable the latter to operate efficiently upon the cleaning member. Furthermore, when not in opera 'tion, the cord 21 will lie mainly beneath the, top portion 2 of the frame. The cleat- 17 which is carried by the supporting member 14 affords convenient means for securing the operating cord when not in use.

In Figs. 7 8 and 9 there is illustrated a modification of the form of a spring barrelv which is particularly well adapted for use with windows having wooden frames,for instance windows of locomotives, observation cars, electric cars, etc. In this embodiment of my invention, 23 denotes the frame and 2 1 the transparent member of such a window. The spring barrel used with this frame comprises an outer casing 25 open at one end and having at such end an outwardly projecting flange 26 having a plurality of sharp projections 27 adapted to engage the provided with an external thread 28 for the barrel may be clamped securely in place and the projections 27 embedded in the frame.

is provided with a head 30 carrying an integral central stud 31 which projects nearly through the barrel. the inner surfacebf the barrel thereis prowided an annular space. for the reception of the coiled spring 32, one end 33 of which projects through the head 30 and is bent against the same and the other end of which is bent downwardly under the frame 23, as shown at 34. and is provided with an extension 35 carrying the cleaner 36.

specifically adapted for application to automobiles, windows of locomotives; electric cars and the like, it will be apparent that other uses of the same may occur, and I do not propose that my invention shall be limited in use to the objectsspecifically"enumerated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a frame for a pane, of a coiled spring supported by said extension, and a cleaning member carried by said extension and arranged to be moved in an arc across a portion of the surface of said pane.

2. The combination, with a frame for a pane, of a resilient arm supported at one end by said frame and having a cleaning member adapted to engage the pane, a pivoted tube carried by said frame, a 5 ring in one direction, and a flexible operating deviceconnected with said arm and extending through said tube, said tube having a portion extending substantially parallel with said pane.

3; The combination, with a frame for a pane, said frame comprising a pair of angularly disposed members, a resilient arm supported atone end by one of the frame members, a cleaning member carried by said with said arm for moving the same in an arc, and a tube pivotally supported by the other member of the frame and extending substantiallyparallel with the pane and 'thrgugh which tube the flexible device extens.

reception of a nut 29, by means of which the arranged to resist the movement of sai arm 1 resilient arm, a flexible device connected frame. The opposite end of the barrel is i The end of the barrel opposite the flange 26 Between this stud and While I have described my inventionas frame. said spring being provided with an 4. The combination, with a frame for a pane, of a barrel carried by said, frame, a coiled spring within said'barrel, said spring being rovided with an extension which is offset rom the center of such coil, and a cleaningmember carried by said' extension, said member being arranged so as'to swing in an are adjacent to the surface of the pane.

5. The combination, with a frame for a .pane, of a barrel carried by said frame, a

coiled spring within said barrel, said spring being provided with an extension which is offset from the center of such coil, a cleaning member carried by said'extension, said member being arranged so as to swing in an are adjacent to. the surface of the pane, a cord operatively secured to said arm, and a swiveled tube through which said cord extends, said tube having a branch extending substantially parallel with the pane.

6. In. a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a frame, a barrel carried mally lying parallel with the adjacent portion of the frame, a cleaning member connected to said extension, and a flexible operating device connected with said exten- S1011.

8. The comblnation, with a frame for a pane, of a resilient arm yieldingly supported at one end, acleaning member connected thereto, means connected to the portion of said arm which is remote from its support for moving the same and the cleaning member across a portion of said pane, and a stop arranged to be engaged by said arm when it reaches its normal position to clear'the cleaning member by inertia.

pane, of a coiled spring supported by said frame, an arm forming an-extension of said spring and arranged to be swung in an arc across a portion of the surface of said pane against the resistance of said spring, a cleaning member connected to said arm, and a stop arranged to be engaged by said arm when the latter'reaches its normal position.

10. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a resilient arm, means for. supporting the same at one end ,"adjacent to a pane, a cleaning member connected to said arm, and a flexible operating jdevice connerted to the outer"or'free portion of said arm, the arm being of such resiliency as to be flexed by the operating device.

11. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a resilient arm, means for supporting the same at one end adjacent 'to a pane, a cleaning member connected to said arm, a flexible operating device con nected' to the outer or free portion of said arm, the arm being of such resiliency I as to .be flexed by the operating device, and a stop arranged to be engaged by said arm when it reaches its normal position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of'twowitnesses.

CLAUD H. FOSTER.

Witnesses: 7

IDA E. Di NHAM, HUGH B. MCGI L.

. 59 9. The co1 nb1nat1on,w1th a frame for a I 

